HBCU
n.— «long with other bands from historically black colleges and universities, or H.B.C.U.‘s, it is an example of a robust vernacular American musical form that serves a social function and isn’t aiming at commercial success.» —“Where the Game Is Just a Warm-Up for the Band” by Ben Ratliff in Houston New York Times Sept. 8, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...
One of the most powerful words you’ll ever hear — and one of the most poignant — isn’t in dictionaries yet. But it probably will be one day. The word is endling, and it means “the last surviving member of a species.” The...